The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-12-21
ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK.
CHRISTMAS DAY, 1862.

ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK.
CHRISTMAS DAY, 1862.
Rev. John R. Paxton, p. D. Of New
York city, and during the rebellion a pri-
vate in Co 6, l40th Pennsylvania Vol
anteers, contributes the following to
the Christmas number OF HarPcr'.
Weekly
wonder which man God will give
tie preference Toto the Joab who
treaclerously slew Abner, or to the Joab
sho ciiyalruusiy riskel his life to get his
larcI,ei king a cup Of water from well
in the camp Of the enemy | do wonder
which uisn in every one Of Us God will
favor. There WAS my old eomrade, Ser
geani Nelson, who bad gathered SOME
l..tof an eviliu ihe army, whose Chris
uau gntaes we're not highly polished,
and who, on occasiou, dropped into pro-
family o, Veg; did INTO poetry. Now /
Wonder which Nelson God viii keep,
ami which Nelson BE vill throw away
the rough so,Jieg, or the man at Cold
H5rbor who snd, Boys 10 yoa hear
Dc.loaJ and Stone calling cur names and
logging lor waterg7
Ne lelthein ai the foot Of the hill.
woumlel, ihataiieruoon, wien We charg-
e,i ..aa were rgPuised. Boss, is BligiIty
risky. There is no truce tonight, and
theia relis shoot about az dne By star
lieht a. ly dav. Bot ~, going out to
faesa You sec, If You AMI ! aere lying
oyef there with hole through Us, and
g.e called lor water snd no one come, al
siio,igis yoa Aeari as, We gyoaid curse yon
aIi. Who vii 90 @i,h sne p
Il. sergeant"
"Aud /"
they went, an, two Of taem were kill
ed. / wonder which Nelson God will
keep. which throw away-the Nelson
who was no slint, or tie Nelson who
5ied for man, ike Iesus Christ.
wonder which man is s,s, and which,
will come 90 the front and be on top At
Jul ginent ihis &C in the study here,
Rah an open Bible before him, who fiat
is coutra,lie.s tie otEer lae, who shivered
Witn cold on the R4ppahannock twenty
four years ago this ne who carries a
shepherds crook, who visits elderly and
ailing sisters, who helps pious women
pack boxes Of cast-od clothing for needy
AMI seedy missionaries this me sho Is
80 inoEie ensiYe, 50 mild-nAnnered, turning
5oi5 cheeks to the rich men who patronize
and crisicise him, and to the sisters who
censure hiui for leyity, or for lukewarm-
ness on foreign missions, or for neglect IN
visiting poor Mrs AiIine, who nAgnani-
mou.y sud uninteruptedly, for whole
hour, shares ali her Ills and aches and
troubles wiili hini, but never shares her
c.iaes, or courage, Or faith, or health or
money Sod reward them.-those pious
souls vi ho ring my ,ioor-bell twenty times
a day to share their adversely with me,
but who never ring NE up to share their
prosperity. They keep ali HG to them
selves.
Il is such iunny world. You and |
load our friends down with our aches
and niislortunes and troubles, but when
a rich ol,. uncle dies and leaves Us half
a million, we do not load thai on them.
Oh, no. But here am preaching, 50
strong i habit Yet which is as--this
gentle, meek, apoiogeuc clergyman, or
tsiat other "a. oi quarter Of century
a-,,2 That other ase who gore that faded
blue ruun.iabout hanging on my study
Nail. with "a lieuteusut's shoulder straps
on 4, Who NuIe tliai swopl and belt there
,ul,4gv lay eyes Which Is me-this man
acquainted with A.se knees anu piety and
aims and grief. or that re- OF the sword
and brass-buttoned jacket on the wall,
who was acquainted with war, deyiltries,
death. reckless daring. loves young
dream Here happy thought strikes
ale Is try on thai soldiers jacket and
buckle on again that sword. Alas years
and larger actions haye outeroan the
other s,e. The iackei wont 70 On; the
sword, ali the siFth Is greater--it won't
buckle. What Is this tear on Hd3per's
paper? Yes. i tear fox tiryt other ale y no
wore that other il. ket a. AFpon.atiex IN
the u,ad days ei Ais y0,ith, WHEN his
head meser ached, nor MS f.ce had u
wrinkle, nor his heart a sorrow- And
what Is this-a laugh Yes-so close lie
soiIs aud l;iughs-for as took down my
sword and drew II freu It's se.sbbard |
recollected story often tell Of . major
general in the army who was aiterwar'l
a Governor Of . state.
He was very vain man, and one day
in his Executive Chamber he said to his
secretary, pointing to his sword on the
wall. Major. do you know that when
tha; sword leape,i from its scabbarsi and
flashed IN the sunlight, the war, sir. was
virtually over-Oyer, sir-decided. My
sword did it." | recoElected that, aud
laughed, and a tear and laugh trod on
each others heels. Such is life. We
swing like pendulum between pleasure
and pain, hope and fear. laughs and tears
and they are never Gar apart. An things
go in couples Extremes meet every
hour Height and depth are correiatives;
give one. you have the other. Can man
laugh loud Then turn him roun.l. touch
different nerve, pronounce woinan's
name, and 10 his subs are as sincere and
deep as his laughter
So. my present mr, cannot you ever
stop preaching, and do little praeticing7 ?